Chain for endless tracks for vehicles



Aug. 2l, 1923. lASALSB G. J. RACKHAM CHAIN FOR ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VEHICLES Filed March 17, 1925 INVENTOR:

GEORGE JOiN RACKH By his Attorneys myff Patented Aug 2l, uruTe sTnTns:

enTnnT corrosion GJEQRGE JOEE' RCKHAM, Oli LUNDUN, ENGLAND, MSIE-NGE T@ BLOADJLESS 'JRACTEJL A v LIMITED, 01E' LUNDUN, ENGLAND.

GEMM TGR EH'JDLIESS 'TRACKS/'FOR VEJYEECLIES. i

Application med march Il?, A11.9%. Serial No. 625,750. r

To all whom i may concern:

Be it known that l, Geenen JOHN Raon- HAM, a subject of the King ofGreatBritain, residing at Charlton House, @ld Gharlton, London, England, have invented new and useful improvements in Chains -ior Endless Tracks for Vehicles, of which the following is a specication.

lhis invention relates to chains, and articularly to chains or tracks for end ess track vehicles, comprising shoes or treads pivotally connected with each other by lubricated joints. The object of this invention is to provide improved'means for lubricating the pivotal connection of the shoes and for preventing the escape of lubricant or the entrance of mud or other foreign matter to the lubricant containers.

According to this invention the shoes are' each provided at one end with perforated lugs and at the opposite end with perforated ears, the lugs on one shoe being adapted to lap the earsoi" the next adjacent shoe and the lugs and ears being connected by hollow pins adapted to contain lubricant. The pins extend through the lugs and ears, and doating bushes are interposed between the pins and the lugs and these bushes bear against washersinterposed between the outer ends of the bushes -and the inner sides of the ears. A spring which surrounds each pin pushes the adjacent bushes against the washers and thus the escape ot lubricant and the entrance ot mud or other `foreign matter is prevented. The pins are hollow and are perforated to allow lubricant to pass to the bushes and `each pin is surrounded by a tube or casing which forms a receptacle tor lubricant escnping from the bushes.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan view oi one ci the shoes showing it connected with parts oil two adjacent shoes. l

Figure 2 shows a section through the ITjoint oit two adjacent shoes.

Figure 3 is a cross section oi two joints on the line 3-3 o3? ligure l.

Figure l shows a modidcation in which the two lugs of a shoe are cast in one piece with a connecting member which provides a casing for the spring.

`Figure 5 shows a construction in which a narrow shoe is provided with a ioint in which the bushes are pressed apart by e wave spring. v

,the lugs oi each vshoe are l Referring to Figures l to 3, inclusive, each shoe a 1s formed at one end with perforated Vor hollow lugs and at the other end with perforated hollow ears c, the lugs being closer together than the ears c so that the lugs and ears on adjacent shoes may lap as shown. A hollow pin extends through the lugs and ears and pivotally connects the shoes. Each pin is permanently closed at one end and at its opposite end is provided with a screw lug fb. Lubricating material may be place in the pin and retained there 'by the p ug. The inner diameter of the lugs b is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the ears c, thus leaving a chamber to re. ceive at each end of the joint a floating bush e which thus intervenes between a lu b and the pin it. Washers f are interposed ef tween the outer ends of the bushes and the inner sides oi the ears. A spring g which surrounds the pin of each joint bears against the inner ends ot the bushes and forces them apart and against the washers f thus pressjv ing the washers against the ears c.

The ins it are perforated, as indicated at j, to alow lubricant to pass `from the pin chamber to the bushes. lin lorder to retain the lubricant which escapes from the bushes l provide a casing consisting ci a tube Z which surrounds the spring g and presses against the inner sides ot the lugs ln this way provision is made for properly till lubricating the joint and the escape et lubricant and the entrance ot mud or other igor eign mattenis prevented. r

igure d shows a inodiiication in which tegrally within casing et which taller place ot the tube't serving a Figure 5 shows a modihc'ation i the bushes@ are pressed by spring a@ l l claim as iny invention y l. A chain for endless vehicles, coin-2 prising a series 'of linhs having hollow lugs and ears connected by pins extending through the lugs and eers. and surrounded b iloatino bushes located between nin l e q i, and lugs and pressed apart by sprin w ic n torce the bushes 'towards the innertifnces of the ears. i

2. A chain der endless vehicles, coinu pricing a series ci' linlrs having hollow lugs and ears, oi diiierent internal diameters nected by pins ent-ending through the luc-- lll" c and lugs and pressed apart by springs which:

force the bus es towards the inner faces of the ears, and washers interposed between .the outer ends of the bushes and the inner sides of the ears. v

4:. A chain for endless track vehicles, comprising a series of links having hollow lugs and ears connected by pins extending through the lu i and ears and surrounded by floating bus es l'ocatedbetween the pin and lugs and pressed apart by springs which force the bushes towards the inner faces of the ears, and a casing surrounding each spring.

5. chain for endless track vehicles, comprising a series of links having hollow lugs and ears connected by hollow pins for con' taining lubricating material which extend through the lugs and ears, and which are surfor the passage of the lubricant to the bushes.

6. A chain for'endless track vehicles, comprising a series of links having hollow lugs and ears of different internal diameters connected by hollow pins for containing lubricant which extend through the lugs and which are surrounded by bushes arranged within the lugs. and which are pressed apart by springs which force the bushes towards the inner faces of the ears, said hollow pins" being perforatedto permit lubricant to pass to the bushes.

7. A chain for endless track vehicles, cornprising a series of links having hollow lapping lugs and ears of different internal diameters connected by hollow pins for containing lubricating material and which extend through the lugs and ears and which are sur` rounded by ioating bushes arranged within the lugs and which are pressed apart by springs which force the bushes towards the inner faces of the ears.

GEORGE JOHN RACKHAM. 

